Talking to my sisters first.

I burst out into the sunlight feeling like I had won the lottery! I don’t think anyone could have put a downer on my day and the smile on my face was there to stay! I moved down to the bus stop and stood there briefly before turning around and looking back at the building I was going to be stepping up to in the morning, as an employee, not just some random hopeful. The grin on my face widened and I turned back around and leaned against the stop, running through the previous hour’s activity.

Wow. I don’t believe that even happened! Crazy, but … Oh YEAH! I’ve gotta call Maria and tell her I got the job!

Maria was my oldest sister and I respect her immensely. She cares for my entire family in a very matronly way and she always wants the best for each of us. She asked me yesterday if I would let her know how the interview went, “As soon as I knew!” I dialed her number, feeling excited to give her the good news!

“Hey Ria. How’s it going?”

My eyes twinkled as I heard her response. “Johnny! Did you get it!?” Her response was slightly groggy, I probably woke her up with my call.

“Jeez, it’s like,” I pulled the phone away from my ear and checked the time, “10:45, what are you doing sleeping?!” I teased.

“Hey! I was up until like, forever o’clock in the morning!” I could hear a yawn, “SO!? Tell me!?” She sounded excited despite her fatigue.

“Well…” I hedged, trying to draw out the expense.

“Damnit! Just tell me… wait a sec,” I could hear a muffled noise and a hushed ‘stop it!’ in the background. “Okay, come on, spill it!”

I chuckled to myself, more interested in telling her about my new job than what was going on in the background. “I got the job!!”

“Yay!!!” She cheered into the phone enthusiastically, “That’s so awesome!”

“What?” I could hear a voice in the background. “What’s awesome?”

“Johnny got the job he went to interview for!”

“Oh really!? That’s great! Here, let me talk to him.” The voice became clearer and I recognized it before she spoke directly into the phone as my other sister. “Hey John, it’s Ash, that’s amazing! Congratulations!”

“Thanks Ashley!” I beamed. “I’m super pumped!”

“We’ll have to celebrate! I’ll make you whatever you want!” Ashley was by far the best cook in the family, so an offer like that was certainly nothing to sneeze at! My mouth watered as I thought of all my favorite food she could make… Chicken pot pie… Tuna casserole… she made this really excellent steak and mashed potatoes dish…

“John…? You there? Hello?”

“Uh, yeah, hi Ash, yeah I’m here. That sounds amazing!” Then it dawned on me. “Oh! It’ll have to be for supper.”

“What? Why?”

“I already committed to lunch with someone.” I smiled as I remembered who I was having lunch with then laughed to myself as I recalled how the engagement was made.

“Oh…? Okay. Hmm, who are you going out with…?” I could hear curiosity dripping off the tone in her voice.

“Uh, actually, my new boss.”

“Oh! Cool.”

Well, at least that didn’t get weird.

“Is she cute?”

Damnit.

“What? She’s my boss, I can’t think of her like that!?” She’s fucking hot is what she is…

“Come on…”

I rolled my eyes, all my sisters were naturally interested in this job opportunity for me as most of us have all worked from home (my youngest sister being the exception as she had a job at a local diner). I knew that somehow I had to skirt around the specifics of the job due to the clear non-disclosure policy Alex had made clear was in effect. So, perhaps if I give more innocent details (not that commenting on my boss’s attractiveness was very innocent… but by comparison to what I had done to Patricia…), she won’t ask any more difficult questions like what exactly I do at this new job of mine. This would make things easier for me… I’ve never been a good liar and especially not to my sisters. It’s like they could just sense what I was thinking!

“I guess…” I conceded, “She’s pretty.”

I could hear a giggle on the other end of the line, “Johnny’s got a crush on his boss!”

This was followed by a muffled, “What!? Already!? Give it back to me.” Some scratching, static-like noises came through as the phone was passed back to Maria. “John. Really.” Her patronizing tone was comical at best. “Maybe you better pick up some XL condoms at the store while you’re out.”

I glared at no one in particular as my sister lightheartly mocked me and I could hear Ashley tittering in the background. “Ha. Ha. You’re hilarious.” Despite the fact that I was self-conscious about my size (and jealous of my sisters’…) I had taken enough teasing over the years that a little pestering, especially from Maria, didn’t bother me.

“Okay well, I’m gonna go, enjoy your morning, I’ll see you after I get home.”

“Mkay…” I could hear her stretching… or at least I thought it was stretching…? Her voice came through slightly cracked as she responded, “I will… see you… tonight?” ‘Tonight’ came through a bit high and as a question.

“Bye!”

“G-goodbye…!”

I hit ‘End’ on my phone and pocketed it. I blew out a breath and scanned the street as I looked for a distraction to occupy my time as I waited for my lunch date.